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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Bob Sadler Director of Marketing & Sales (313) 833-7937 Or (313) 819-5761 (Cell) Bobsadler@Detroithistorical.Org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Bob Sadler Director of Marketing & Sales (313) 833-7937 or (313) 819-5761 (cell) [email protected] JOIN TUSKEGEE AIRMAN LT. COLONEL ALEXANDER JEFFERSON SHARING “HOW I SURVIVED WORLD WAR II!” WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17 AT THE DETROIT HISTORICAL MUSEUM DETROIT – The Detroit Historical Society continues its Scholar Series with former Tuskegee Airman Lt. Colonel Alexander Jefferson, who will discuss his time in the Army Air Force during World War II on Wednesday, April 17 at 6 p.m. at the Detroit Historical Museum. Jefferson will also be awarded a plaque from the Society’s Black Historic Sites Committee for his contributions to African American history. College graduate Alexander Jefferson, having enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserves, was turned down when he first applied for flight training in the Army Air Force during World War II. However, in 1943, the Army assigned Jefferson to the 332nd Fighter Group of the black “Tuskegee Airmen,” based at Tuskegee Army Airfield in Alabama. The 332nd, which flew distinctive “Red Tail” P-51 Mustangs, escorted bombing raids and provided air support for ground troops. During his presentation, Jefferson will show a brief video and explain how being a Tuskegee Airman helped him survive World War II. In addition, he will discuss how his Tuskegee Airman status contributed to his life during the Civil Rights era. The program will feature a flag ceremony; an introduction from the chair of the Black Historic Sites Committee, Kimberly Simmons; reenactors from the Historic Fort Wayne Coalition; a question and answer session and an award presentation. Lt. Colonel Jefferson will also be available to sign copies of his book, Red Tail Captured, Red Tail Free: Memoirs of a Tuskegee Airman and POW, after the event. Guests will also be invited to tour the Museum’s new Arsenal of Democracy exhibition, featuring Jefferson. The Scholar Series is free for Detroit Historical Society members and $10 for guests. Free for children under 18 years old. The Film and Scholar Series are supported by the Michigan Council for the Arts and Cultural Affairs and the National Endowment for the Arts. The Detroit Historical Museum, located at 5401 Woodward Ave. (NW corner of Kirby) in Midtown Detroit, is open to the public Tuesday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. General admission is free for all, all the time. Parking in the Museum’s lot is $5 at all times. Permanent exhibits include the famous Streets of Old Detroit, the Allesee Gallery of Culture, Kid Rock Music Lab, Doorway to Freedom: Detroit and the Underground Railroad, Detroit: The “Arsenal of Democracy,” Frontiers to Factories, America’s Motor City, and The Glancy Trains. For more information, call the Museum at (313) 833-1805 or check out our website at www.detroithistorical.org. # # # .
Recommended publications
  • Tuskegee Airmen Chronology Daniel L. Haulman Organizational
    TUSKEGEE AIRMEN CHRONOLOGY DANIEL L. HAULMAN ORGANIZATIONAL HISTORY BRANCH AIR FORCE HISTORICAL RESEARCH AGENCY MAXWELL AFB, AL 36112-6424 14 November 2011 1 TUSKEGEE AIRMEN CHRONOLOGY Dr. Daniel L. Haulman Chief, Organization History Division Air Force Historical Research Agency Expanded Edition: 30 September 2011 27 June 1939: Congress passed the Civilian Pilot Training Act. (Robert J. Jakeman, The Divided Skies.) September-October 1939: The Civil Aeronautics Administration received Tuskegee Institute’s application to be a civilian pilot training institution, and after Tuskegee obtained permission to use the Montgomery Airport as a facility, the application was approved. (Robert J. Jakeman, The Divided Skies) Late February 1940: The Civil Aeronautics Authority approved Tuskegee’s Kennedy Field for Civilian Pilot Training, after improvements to the field, eliminating Tuskegee Institute’s need to use the Montgomery Airport. (Robert J. Jakeman, The Divided Skies) 25 March 1940: George A. Wiggs arrived in Tuskegee to administer the standard written examination required of all Civilian Pilot Training students. Every student who took the examination passed, surpassing the passing rate of other schools in the South. (Robert J. Jakeman, The Divided Skies.) 16 September 1940: Congress passed a Selective Service Act which required all the armed services to enlist “Negroes”. On the same day, the War Department announced that the Civil Aeronautics Authority, in cooperation with the U.S. Army, would start the development of “colored personnel” for the aviation service. (Public Law 783, 16 September 1940; War Department Press Release, 16 September 1940; 99th Fighter Squadron summary history in the lineage and honors folder of the 99th Flying Training Squadron at the Air Force Historical Research Agency (AFHRA), Maxwell AFB, AL) Late October 1940: In a press release, President Franklin D.
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  • Teacher Resource Lesson Plan
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  • February Is Black History Month and Educators All Across the Country Are Using the Wealth of Educational Resources We Have Available on Our Website
    CAF RISE ABOVE® Inspiring young people to RISE ABOVE adversity using the lessons and stories of the Tuskegee Airmen and the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP). February is Black History Month and educators all across the country are using the wealth of educational resources we have available on our website. These include free, downloadable posters, PowerPoints, classroom activities, Tuskegee Airmen profiles, a Virtual Museum, and a selection of webinars that include interviews with Tuskegee Airmen. Photo courtesy Eddie Kyle We created these resources so these stories of WWII In This Issue - February 2021 aviation would be available to young people, and inspire them to achieve their dreams. Our hope is, by telling the • Leaders View stories of the Tuskegee Airmen and their strength of character and ability to • Tuskegee Airmen essay contest Triumph Over Adversity, these kids will use these stories as inspiration RISE • A Call to Service by Michael ABOVE their own challenges in life. Martin • Introducing WASP author Sarah The isolation caused by Covid-19 and the relentless negativity in the news cycle, many people have struggled to maintain hope and optimism during these times. Byrn Rickman But the struggles we face today pale by comparison to the struggles and sacrifice • Tour schedule at a glance made by all Americans 80 years ago. In spite of the incredible adversity they • Greetings from the Ambassador faced, the Tuskegee Airmen were able to RISE ABOVE. We thank our educators team for using this month to carry these stories forward,
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  • Download History & Resources
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  • Learn More About the 32 Captured Tuskegee Airmen Pows
    During the Tuskegee Airmen’s years of operation from 1941 to 1949, 992 pilots were trained in Tuskegee from 1941 to 1946. 450 were deployed overseas, and 150 lost their lives in accidents or combat. The toll included 66 pilots killed in action or accidents, 84 killed in training and non-combat missions and 32 captured as prisoners of war. Lt. William Griffin of the 99th Fighter Squadron crash-landed his plane in enemy territory after it was hit by enemy fire on Jan. 15, 1944. Griffin was captured and held at Stalag Luft I until the end of the war with other prisoners of war; he is standing in the back row, fourth from the left. (Courtesy of Stalg Luft I Online) PRISONER OF WAR MEDAL Established: 1986 Significance: Recognizes anyone who was a prisoner of war after April 5, 1917. Design: On the obverse, an American eagle with wings folded is enclosed by a ring. On the reverse, "Awarded to" is inscribed with space for the recipient's name, followed by "For honorable service while a prisoner of war" on three lines. The ribbon has a wide center stripe of black, flanked by a narrow white stripe, a thin blue stripe, a thin white stripe and a thin red stripe at the edge. Authorized device: Multiple awards are marked with a service star. MACR- Missing Air Crew Reports In May 1943, the Army Air Forces recommended the adoption of a special form, the Missing Air Crew Report (MACR), devised to record relevant facts of the last known circumstances regarding missing air crews, providing a means of integrating current data with information obtained later from other sources in an effort to conclusively determine the fate of the missing personnel.
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  • Double Victory Education Guide
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